End of the road for Ajax
A LATE goal from Ashbourne centre-half Jonathan McNally broke Ajax Athletic hearts as they bowed out of the LFA Junior Shield at the semi-final stage after an absorbing contest at Pa Mernagh Park on Sunday.
In truth, when the Enniscorthy outfit reflect on the defeat that brought their magnificent run in the competition to a disappointing end, it is the concession of a goal in first-half injury time that will haunt them most.
They had just taken a 2-1 lead and looked set to be going into the interval with an advantage, but the Meath side struck back straight from the kick-off, leaving the Rajahs feeling deflated at the break.
The home side had got off to the worst possible start, conceding inside the opening minute when Dillon O’Brien pounced, but they eventually found their feet and Jamie O’Grady levelled in the 18th minute.
The tide looked to have turned firmly in their favour when Ashbourne goalkeeper Denzel McShane dropped an Adam Fox cross into his own net in the 45th minute, but the celebrations had barely died down when James Reddin dragged the visitors level.
Ashbourne ended the half as they had begun it as they raced into the lead with just 50 seconds on the clock as they caught the home side cold.
Matthew Gaughran swung in an inviting cross, and the inrushing Dillon O’Brien arrived at the far post to steer the ball to the net.
The side from the Royal county were clearly in the mood, and O’Brien blazed a long-range effort wide seconds after breaking the deadlock.
The hosts found it difficult to get a foothold in the game early on as Ashbourne sprayed the ball around slickly, and they threatened again with 15 minutes on the clock when Matthew Devine curled a free-kick narrowly off target.
However, the Rajahs got the fillip they needed two minutes later when Liam Moore and Seán ‘Beefy’ Farnan combined on the right, and the latter whipped in a delicious cross, which was powerfully headed to the net by Jamie O’Grady.
The goal worked wonders for the confidence of the home players as they began to pass the ball with real authority, and they came close when Moore volleyed over after a Fenwick O’Shea corner fell into his path on the half hour mark.
Moments later O’Grady met a Farnan cross but, leaning backwards, he couldn’t generate enough power on his header and it looped into the arms of the grateful goalkeeper.
The half ended in a real welter of excitement, and in the 41st minute Ashbourne’s Matthew Devine was teed up by James Reddin, only to be denied by a smart save from Jason Russell. Ajax then hit the front four minutes later, albeit in somewhat fortuitous fashion, when McShane inexplicably dropped an Adam Fox cross from the left wing into the net.
However, the home side’s joy soon turned to despair when Ashbourne replied instantly.
Impressive left-back Kamil Skorowski went on a rampaging run down the wing, before squaring to James Reddin, who planted the ball in the back of the net.
The second-half was a more subdued affair, with Ajax finding it hard to penetrate a well-drilled Ashbourne defence, and they were often reduced to punting hopeful balls forward, where they were outnumbered time and time again.
The visitors put together the better passages of play and James Reddin saw his shot blocked in the 63rd minute, while seconds later Russell was quickly off his line to deny Matthew Gaughran.
Ashbourne did manage to get their noses in front with ten minutes remaining when Dillon O’Brien whipped in a free-kick from the left and, when it sat up nicely for Jonathan McNally, the centre-back showed a striker’s instinct as he superbly smashed a volley to the back of the net.
Ajax Athletic tried manfully to force extra-time, but their only effort of note came in the 88th minute when substitute Aaron Moorehouse side-footed over, and Ashbourne safely navigated the seven minutes of injury time to set up an all-Meath clash with Skryne Tara in the final.
AJAX ATHLETIC: Jason Russell, Shaun O’Shea, Fenwick O’Shea, Brian Balfe,
Liam Murphy, Adam Fox, Liam Moore, Jack Hanley, Glenn Fortune (capt.), Seán Farnan, Jamie O’Grady, Subs. - Glenn Buckley for Farnan (HT), Tommy O’Rourke for Fortune (50), Aaron Moorehouse for Murphy (74), T.J. Owens for Hanley (74), also Ross Wilson, Pa O’Brien, Anthony Larkin.
ASHBOURNE UNITED: Denzel McShane, Colm Ward, Rory Rice, Jonathan McNally, Kamil Skorowski, Matthew Gaughran, John Naughton, David McKeown, Dillon O’Brien, James Reddin, Matthew Devine (capt.). Subs. - Craig Jordan for Reddin (63), John Glynn for Gaughran (77), Ian Cawley for Reddin (88), Brian Rice for Skorowski, inj. (90), also Ciarán McGrath.
REFEREE: Tristan Earley (Kilkenny).